


soldier, poet, king

by snakewithapen



Series: Antarctic Eret AU [1]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Dethroned Eret (Video Blogging RPF), Eret Needs A Hug (Video Blogging RPF), Gen, He/Him Pronouns for Eret (Video Blogging RPF), How Do I Tag, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, King Eret (Video Blogging RPF), Magic, Near Death, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, She/Her Pronouns for Eret (Video Blogging RPF), Tags Are Hard, Tags May Change, They/Them Pronouns for Eret (Video Blogging RPF), Time Shenanigans, Time Skips, Traitor Eret (Video Blogging RPF), War, this is about the characters you fucknuggets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:48:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29593716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snakewithapen/pseuds/snakewithapen
Summary: nine stories of Eret's life, from under the ice to above a fire.
Series: Antarctic Eret AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2187387
Kudos: 35





	soldier, poet, king

**Author's Note:**

> warnings for: near death, terrorism mentions, screaming mentions, Dream SMP canon-typical amounts of violence, blood mention, death mentions...please tell me if there's anything I need to warn for.
> 
> this is intended to be part one of a series. I can't guarantee I'll continue it, though, because school and ADHD are both nightmares.

  * **part I: ice**



Technoblade doesn't care about humans very often.

then again, he doesn't find half dead human teenagers under the ice very often either.

"hey, can you hear me?" he asks once they're back on steady ground and not on ice that could crack at any moment. "I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm goin' to help you." 

he puts the human on his horse before climbing on himself. the ride home is cold and quiet, like most things in the Antarctic Empire, but this silence is different. more tense. for some bizarre reason, Techno is concerned about this human's life.

Phil looks confused when he brings the human into the castle. ice fishing, he says, like Chat hadn't pointed out the screams echoing off the logs while he scouted for potential threats. Phil believes it and takes the human into his own arms, presumably to heal any damage.

Techno doesn't think healing normally involves that much screaming, and neither does Chat, but unlike Chat, he doesn't pay too much attention to it.

he later learns that the human's name is Eret. he's from New Hawaii, and while Techno doesn't know too much about geography - he's only seventeen, by Phil's count - he's certain that this New Hawaii is very far away. it makes Chat wonder why Eret had come all this way ~~(and if he'd be a willing sacrifice to the Blood God)~~.

"hey Eret," he says one day, when Eret has recovered, "what do you think of causin' some minor terrorism?"

"hey Techno," Eret answers, not yet knowing that it would become the start of something far bigger than two teenagers messing around in the snow, "why didn't you ask sooner? minor terrorism sounds like fun."

time seems to move faster after that. a call of "hey Eret" is inevitably answered with "hey Techno" and vice versa. sometimes Chat gets loud when Phil is busy, and Eret is there to ground him. sometimes Eret takes off his sunglasses, and pushes everyone away, and Techno is there, telling stories and not asking anything of him. Phil's son, Wilbur, visits sometimes, and the adventures get louder and more chaotic those days. when Tommy tags along, nothing gets done, but Techno is happy, and Chat is happy, and that's enough.

Eret is twenty-two when he disappears.

  * **part II: surprise**



it's a warm summer night and Eret is in a place very far from the Antarctic Empire, a small sapling of a doomed country called L'Manberg.

the moon glitters on the still water of the lake, and she remembers the same kind of light accompanying the sound of Phil's voice. ever since that harrowing day under the ice ages ago, there has been magic in her veins, magic that she doesn't understand. Phil had said something about an empress and a blessing, but the memories are hazy.

three years later, Eret wonders if they're hazy on purpose. it would make sense for powerful magic to be obscured from her memories if she's not strong enough to use it.

she's taking a break from ensuring L'Manberg's doom. or at the very least, severely damaging them. she tries to reassure herself that it's worth it. if she can take the throne, she can set L'Manberg free and improve the server. so what if the entire army dies at her hands in a time of need? they'll respawn. they'll respawn under Eret's rule, a much more peaceful one than whatever Dream has going on.

the day comes, and everyone is tense, but Eret for a much different reason than everyone else. if the future is going to be good, today has to go to plan. Tommy and Tubbo - god rest those kids' souls - look thrilled to fight, and something bitter burns the back of her throat. it's for the best.

most of the fighting passes by in a blur. they never fought back in the Antarctic Empire; the fear others held of Techno and Phil was stronger than any army. but finally, the soldiers are cornered and she can spring the trap.

"I'm going to need you to join me," she says, leading the soldiers down the hill. "it's the element of surprise."

confusion follows in her wake. it's worse than agreement, but better than suspicion, so she'll take what she's given. the dirt falls away, and her voice echoes off the stone walls of the tunnel as she encourages everyone to keep following her.

"this," Eret says, sweeping an arm out dramatically, "is the final room. the Final Control Room."

Tommy laughs, shaken and confused, and Fundy and Tubbo echo him. before Eret can give any kind of cue, Tommy presses the wooden button in the centre of the floor. Eret blocks it up while everyone else goes through their chests.

"there's nothing in the chests," Wilbur mutters, and Eret knows it's now or never. she unblocks the button, and the walls slide down. the small blackstone room hidden under an innocuous L'Manberg hill is a whirlwind of yelling and blades and blood, and Eret stands at the centre of it all and breathes in the power. 

was this how Techno felt when he killed someone? bitter at the loss but empowered all the same?

hours later, ink flows to paper on a golden throne. the day has come, and Eret has kept her word.

it's time to write to Technoblade.

  * **part III: leaving**



the castle is very empty these days.

it's always been a little vacant, Techno thinks, but now that it's just him and Phil, the ceilings feel too high and the halls too narrow. he spends most of his time in Hypixel, where he can just fight and not think.

"hey, Techno," Phil says, and Chat starts awww'ing at the phrase like the annoying nerds they are, "there's a letter for you here. don't recognize the seal or anything, though."

Techno looks at the envelope Phil hands him. it's very nice paper, with a wax seal of a simple, poorly drawn smile.

 _hey, Techno,_ the letter begins.

_I'm sorry I didn't write sooner. I've been a little busy sabotaging a country for my own benefit._

_well, that's not quite true. the story goes a little like this: a prank started by Wilbur turned into a business. then the business turned into a revolution. the chance arose for me to improve this server and protect my friends, but at the cost of their trust._

_I took that chance._

_I am now the king of the Dream SMP. Dream and Callahan, the admins, are more powerful, though, so it's a figurehead throne. I'm not_ really _working under a government._

_I have a feeling that things are going to go downhill for the members of the newly independent L'Manberg. if you are ever invited by Dream to these lands, I don't doubt that they will need your help and not put in a good word for me. but I did what will help them, in the end._

_I wish you and Phil the best in the Empire. say hello to Chat for me._

_-King Eret of the Dream SMP_

Techno huffs a laugh. of course Wilbur would start an entire country from drugs. he doubts he'll ever visit, though.

"your son started a country from drugs," he says, completely deadpan. Phil bursts out laughing. "of course he did."

"Eret says he and Tommy might be mad," Techno continues. "somethin' about figurehead government and betrayal. seems about right if Wilbur started it."

Techno receives another letter two months later with the same smiling seal.

_attention Technoblade:_

_I am writing on behalf of Wilbur Soot and TommyInnit. issues arose resulting in their exile from L'Manberg. since they were already banished from the lands governed by King Eret, I figured I'd spare them a little suffering and allow you to join our server to help them. disclosed are directions to the Dream SMP._

_see you soon. :)_

_-Dream_

Techno sighs. he never expected to have to pack his bags and leave like Eret and Wilbur did, but a government needs taking down, so he does what he has to.

"I hate to leave you like this, Phil," he mutters. "say hi to your hardcore friends and don't die, okay?"

"of course, mate."

Phil watches from a balcony as Techno rides off into the early morning snow. the Blaze Empress was right when she blessed Eret; some things are never meant to be.

  * **part IV: war**



"take off your crown, Eret. I'm not asking."

they stand their ground, looking Dream directly in the eyes. "I can't."

"Punz," Dream says coldly, "please escort Eret out of the castle. all the way out."

Punz isn't gentle with his escort, shoving Eret along the moment they stop. they trip at the front gate, cracking a lens of their sunglasses. nonetheless, they pick themself up and make their way, bruised, breathless and crownless, to the lake.

they're talking about the traitor, because of course they are. it's all anyone has talked about in the past ten days.

"I think Eret's the traitor," Technoblade says.

Eret freezes as everyone turns to look at them, and Techno's expression says _trust me, I have a plan. this won't matter._

"Dream has taken everything from me," they hiss. "I am no longer king of the Dream SMP. I chose to help my friends over loyalty to Dream."

the fight is long, and it is exhilarating. it's been a long time since Eret has fought like this. the Pogtopians are beating the Manbergian army until out of nowhere, Dream surrenders with a message to show everyone something.

everyone is gathered in and around Wilbur's old drug van as Schlatt drinks himself to misery. Eret would almost feel bad if Manberg hadn't been a terrible place under his rule.

then Schlatt gasps, and his fingers tighten where they're fisted in his shirt, and he stops moving.

_jschlatt fell out of the world._

Eret laughs at Schlatt's death, despite the tension of war. during the journey back into L'Manberg, Techno pulls Eret aside.

"here's the thing. Manberg is a government. you know how I feel about governments. so I decided to get a little...help."

he pulls a wither skull from his inventory and tosses it lightly. Eret whistles lowly.

"how many?"

"eight. I'll only be launchin' two though. hey, Eret," Techno says, just like the old days of two teenagers in the snow, "wanna cause some terrorism?"

"hey Techno," Eret replies, their grin bright despite their cracked sunglasses and bruised, torn clothes. "I thought you'd never ask."

Wilbur disappears in the middle of Tubbo's presidential speech. Tommy and Quackity look incredibly nervous. there's probably a connection there, Eret muses, but they don't know what it could be.

then Phil joins. Phil joins the game, and Techno shoots Tubbo with another rocket. Eret stands beside him as he warns about replacing tyrants. they're not quite paying attention; their attention is on where the hell Wilbur is.

they're perched on the hill behind the podium when the ground shakes. the entire ground explodes in a horrible, beautiful array of grass and stone and white light, and the shockwave cracks their glasses further. before long, Manberg is a smoking crater. 

"Wilbur!" Tommy cries, and Eret makes their way down to the remains of the audience platform. Wilbur has his hands wrapped around a sword, and he's holding it out to Phil. it's hard to hear either of them under all the chaos, but Eret can see that Phil's wings are shredded. Phil seems to bristle at something Wilbur says, and then he takes the sword-

and time slows down-

and there's a sword through Wilbur's heart. Eret waits for the puff of smoke that means he'll respawn. it never comes. Phil has only just arrived, and his son is already dead at his hands. no one should have to go through that.

Eret knows they're not the king anymore, but if they were, their next step in improving the server would be making sure any iteration of L'Manberg is gone. it only causes problems.

the withers are spawned for kicks. for chaos. they're much bigger than two teenagers in the snow.

everything is.

  * **part V: throne**



it's a cold night outside Tommy's old house, not quite a month after the war, and Dream, George, Sapnap, Bad and Quackity are already there.

Dream approaches him in that casually intimidating way he does, armor shining in the moonlight.

"we had our disagreement," he begins, and Eret is surprised that he's going straight into this. "we had our disagreements. I would like you to be king again."

Eret stops in his tracks on the wooden path by Tommy's house. "what?"

"your actions showed that you were loyal," Dream continues, "and caring, and a good friend, and a good leader. you did what's right for the server. that's why you betrayed L'Manberg; you did what you thought was right for the server."

"I did," he acknowledges. George looks furious, and Quackity isn't far behind. Sapnap has an arrow nocked in his crossbow, pointed right between Dream's eyes. Eret, for his part, is confused. where had any of this come from?

"George isn't my king. Eret is my king. you need to understand that if you want to stay a part of this group," Dream warns Sapnap, unwavering in the eyes of the crossbow pointed at him.

"whatever side George is on is the side I'm on," Sapnap snaps back. Eret tilts his head in confusion; had some bad blood been spilled between those two?

the arguing continues, and Eret watches. entertainment like this comes rarely on this server. it ends not with violence, surprisingly, but acquiescence.

the group - joined by Puffy and Punz - makes their way to his castle (it's his again! he didn't think he'd see the day). it's a group full of chatter and light-heartedness despite the circumstances. 

"welcome back to thy throne, Eret," Punz greets him. ever polite and ever mysterious. Eret thinks he'd make a good knight. 

"thank you, Punz," he says, just as warmly. it feels good to be on the throne again, even if he's not physically there yet.

Puffy asks later why he's king. he says that Dream trusts him, trusts his judgement. he says that George has angered Dream somehow, because he doesn't have the answer. he's just as confused. he says that he's neutral.

he does not say that he lied about the last part, that he helped Pogtopia from the shadows from the moment he heard from them again. he does not say how deeply it tore him up when Techno accused him, does not say how happy he felt fighting against Dream. he doesn't talk about his relief when Techno suggested killing Dream after he explained the threat.

some things are better left alone.

  * **part VI: loyalty**



"hey Eret," Techno had said once, leafing through a book much bigger than something any eighteen year old should be reading, "if you replace the parts of a ship one by one with better materials, is it still the same ship?"

"hey Techno. does it have the same memories tied to it? does it have the same people raising its sails?" she had answered. "then it's the same ship."

now she sits at the edge of a much bigger crater, and she thinks about the ship again. it can be the same body going through its motions, the same blood being pumped through the same veins, but if you remove everything someone cares about one by one and replace it with a smile and a neutral comment, they do not remain the same person. she watched as Techno destroyed the country, and she wonders now what wore him down and changed his mindset.

people are a lot more complicated than ships. so is loyalty. despite the falseness of the throne, despite taking it for helping his friends, Dream seems loyal to Eret, giving her the throne once again. Quackity, Karl, and George - who attempted to blow up her castle and frame her for Karl's sacrifice - are not.

Eret isn't quite sure who she's loyal to. she wants to clear her name. she's been doing research, going through every book on every shelf in the castle for answers. Wilbur didn't deserve to die thinking he was hated. Eret considers herself loyal to Wilbur, to his memory. Techno and Phil destroyed everything, but it needed to be destroyed, and they did save her life as a teen. she considers herself loyal to them as well.

"hey, Eret."

a familiar green robe flows into his peripheral vision. a shredded wing stretches across her shoulder, and she leans against Phil as he sits next to her at the edge of the crater.

"hello, Phil," she murmurs, not directly answering the greeting. she's not sure how she feels about it anymore. feelings are complicated things, unlike ships.

"how are you, mate? you seem worried." curse Phil and his ability to read people like books. Eret doesn't look at him.

"I am," she replies. "now that L'Manberg is gone, my kingdom's gotten a lot bigger. I don't think I can run it on my own, but something changed with you and Techno. you don't trust me because I'm a ruler of a government, even though I have no power."

"you don't?"

"no. it's all Dream. always has been."

Phil hums in distaste. "I can't, in good conscience, help you, unless you drive a really good deal."

now Eret has another debate under her tongue. she could tell Phil about her research and risk giving someone else that incredibly secure knowledge, or she could hold her tongue and protect it.

"I can return Wilbur to you," she says, before she can stop herself. the breeze that blows across the canyon is colder now, and it's a brutal coincidence.

"you can?"

"I think so. I've been studying every book in my castle. I want to clear my name with Wilbur. I never got to before he died, and he didn't deserve to die believing he was hated. more than anything, he's a leader. a better one than I am."

Eret sighs tiredly as the sun sets and the nighttime chill settles in.

"Wilbur would know what to do right now."

"I think," Phil says slowly, "that something will happen soon. I think that something will happen soon that will show you what you need to do, and how to lead your kingdom. but for now, I'll help you."

Eret smiles. "we start tomorrow, then."

  * **part VII: dead**



like everything else in Eret's life, it doesn't quite go to plan.

the first time it happens, Ghostbur just...disappears. he disappears, and Eret panics, because they never read anything in their books about ghosts disappearing. part of them hopes that whatever magic that has been in their veins since Techno found them under the ice so long ago will help. so far, it hasn't.

Tommy is as accusatory as ever, yelling at Phil and Eret in that way that's so distinctly Tommy. he eventually leaves their little patch of the crater, but not before calling Phil a bad guy. Eret knows that's not true.

and then Ghostbur screams.

he screams like he's falling. he's not in the crater, but everyone hears him scream. they ask where he is, and for a long moment, he doesn't answer.

_"hello?"_

"he's still Ghostbur," Phil sighs. "it didn't work."

the second time is much, _much_ worse. Ghostbur disappears again, but Eret expects that. they don't expect to hear a softly whispered curse in a voice that is definitely not Wilbur's, but that is all too familiar nonetheless.

_"wh- the fuck is this?! I was-"_

"Schlatt?!" Eret gasps. the books definitely didn't have anything about another ghost showing up in place of the person you were trying to revive. this is uncharted territory on every level.

Schlatt is… well, death hasn't changed him. he laughs, and says he doesn't want to come back, and disappears. something flickers in the corner of the altar, and Ghostbur screams again and reappears.

they're trying to figure out what to do next when Ghostbur hovers over to Phil and asks him for a cigarette, whiskey and protein powder. Eret bursts out laughing, more out of confusion than entertainment. they can't get totems from raids, so Tubbo proposes a trip to Techno's house. Eret is pointing out that Techno is the only one who has any totems when Ghostbur flinches, and Schlatt's voice is coming out of Ghostbur's mouth, asking about the protein powder. 

"uh oh," Eret says between nervous laughs. they've never seen anything like this before, and they doubt anyone has.

 _"sorry, I blacked out for a minute,"_ Ghostbur says, proceeding to only confuse them more. _"what were we talking about, with the outpost…?"_

everyone moves past it and everything is fine.

everything is fine until Tommy and Tubbo are standing on the Prime Path three days later.

  * **part VIII: today**



today is the day that everything ends. Techno and Phil have disappeared, and if Eret is telling the truth, good riddance to them. 

today, two kids stand at the edge of the path. to the left and right stand friends, allies, companions of these two teenagers, and Eret can't help but think of two teenagers messing around in the snow. two teenagers, each with their own kind of magic coursing through their bloodstreams, taking over the world. these two teenagers are much different - broken shells of children who grew up too fast and saw too much.

today is the day that everything ends. either the impossible happens and Tommy and Tubbo recover the discs and escape safely…

or today is the day they die.

today, Eret isn't a king. he isn't a traitor. he isn't a soldier questioning his loyalty, sacrificing everything for his friends. today he's just Eret, Tommy and Tubbo's friend, wishing them luck as they walk to almost-certain doom.

"thank you, Eret," Tommy says, much more serious than a sixteen year old should be. he never thought he'd hear those words from Tommy, but that's not a thought for today.

"I know I've wronged you," he admits, "but I… I want to see you guys succeed. and I think you have the power to do it."

he's a kid, he shouldn't need power, but that is also not a thought for today. 

"you've always been the real king," Tommy mutters, saluting, and Eret smiles. he thanks him, and he's starting to believe that the two of them will come back alive today.

today, he stands and waits until Tommy and Tubbo disappear from view. the moment they're gone, Punz appears. Eret can sense the beginnings of a plan.

later, Eret learns that "a plan" is both an understatement and a stretch. Punz seems to know what to expect when he steps into the portal, but out of the entire group, he is the only one.

_Punz whispers to you: now_

they all flow in. the purple swirls, bright and dizzying as ever, and then they're in a huge, dark room. bedrock patches the floor, and paintings of Tommy's discs are the only decoration on the walls. it seems like the kind of place you would take someone to torture them to death.

Eret doesn't think he likes it all that much.

"stick with me!" Tommy cries, running behind him with Tubbo in tow. he pulls out his shield without a word; they're under his protection. 

"you fucked _up,_ Dream," Quackity growls, his quiet anger louder than Tommy's panic. today has gone far differently than anyone imagined it might.

"why are you all here?" Dream asks. his voice is flat and neutral, and Eret knows he's scared. 

"we're tired of your shit, man," Jack fires back.

"what is this?!" Ponk adds. Dream doesn't answer. does he even have an answer? can he even explain his own willingness to kill two kids over a couple discs?

Tommy approaches him, and Sapnap hands him a pickaxe. Sapnap, who opposed his rule from the very beginning, is helping him accomplish what he could not do himself. Eret is proud of him.

the first thing Tommy does is force Dream to drop his armor, and his weapons, and if this is what Dream did to Tommy in exile, Eret is beyond glad that the reverse is happening now.

then with much less hesitation than anyone should have, Tommy kills him. Tommy kills him twice, and hits him, and blocks the portal so he can't escape. for the first time in Eret's memory, he watches as Dream begs for his life to be spared.

"Tommy, I can bring people back to life!" Dream bursts out, panic cracking his voice. Eret raises his eyebrows in surprise. is he bluffing? can he truly return the dead?

he brings up a book, a book Schlatt of all people gave him, a book that Eret needs to get his hands on. Tommy doesn't believe him, boxes him away like Schlatt boxed Tubbo up at the festival so long ago.

today, Eret no longer has any kind of clue where any of this could go.

Sam steps forward and proposes imprisoning Dream. it sounds like a solid plan to Eret, one that he can get behind. Tommy steps up in front of Dream's box and begins talking, explaining himself and explaining Dream.

"every bad thing that has happened on this server is because of Dream. Eret," he says, turning to him, and he looks expectantly back.

today, Eret bears witness to how people change. instead of taunting him about the betrayal, Tommy says, "Eret, he took your kingship."

"Tommy," Sapnap interjects, "what was in this hallway?"

Tommy shudders lightly. everything everyone held dear, Tommy explains, Dream planned to lock up here. everyone goes to explore it, and Eret is horrified.

George's fish, Friend, Henry… there's even a cage for Skeppy.

this isn't the Dream Eret trusted.

today, Eret smiles bitterly as an old friend cements himself as an enemy.

today, Eret does not trust Dream.

  * **part IX: people**



Eret doesn't trust people very often. 

then again, humans don't get rescued from drowning by a piglin and an angel very often either.

"Phil," she asks one day, when the two of them are out mining, "why are my eyes white?"

"hm?"

"Phil, look at me," she says quietly. the cave is just well-lit enough for her to see that he looks nervous. she sighs and takes off her sunglasses. Phil's expression shifts, from nervousness to sadness to something unreadable.

"why?"

"I'm sorry, Eret," Phil answers gently. "I can't tell you. secrets are meant to be kept."

neither says a word for the rest of the trip.

that was a very long time ago, Eret thinks, and everything has changed. he's up at the top of his castle, looking out at the war-torn, tense, traumatized kingdom that he runs when a familiar red cape appears next to him.

"what brings you of all people here?" he asks coldly. Techno is the cause of so much destruction and Eret doesn't trust him.

"Chat said I should visit," he says nonchalantly. "apologize or somethin'. I'm not goin' to pretend that L'Manberg didn't need to be destroyed, but you cared about that place, didn't you?"

Eret laughs, short and bitter and mirthless. "only because my friends were there. and they got hurt. you hurt them. you hurt my kingdom.

"you hurt me."

"it can't be said that I didn't help you, though," he argues, and Eret thinks of two teenagers in the snow, causing problems just because they could. "I killed George for you."

"and you destroyed L'Manberg, which needed to be done."

the two sit in silence for a long time, just like they used to. it's familiar. everything has changed, but they are still just two friends, enjoying each other's company.

"hey, Eret? I'm sorry for breaking your trust."

"hey, Techno. I forgive you."


End file.
